The Brothers' Heist: Deception, Betrayal, and the Royal Treasure

Frank, John, and Jack

Once upon a time, there were three brothers named Frank, John, and Jack. They were skilled thieves and always managed to avoid getting caught.

One day, Frank stole a sheep, slaughtered it at home, and hung the meat on the ceiling. He told his wife, "If I'm not here and John or Jack comes asking for water, give it to them in a bowl. Don’t let them drink from the jug, because if they drink from the jug, they'll see the carcass."

His wife replied, "As you wish!"

As soon as Frank left, John showed up and asked for him. "Where's Frank?" he asked.

"He went out," the wife answered.

"Can I have a bit of water?" John asked.

"Just a moment, I'll bring a bowl," she replied.

"No need for that," said John. Before she could return, he grabbed the jug, drank from it, and left without saying a word.

When Frank returned home at dusk, he asked his wife, "How was everything?"

"All good, just that John came by for some water and left," she said.

"Did he drink from a bowl or the jug?" Frank asked.

"As soon as I was about to bring a bowl, he grabbed the jug, drank from it, and left," she replied.

Frank slapped his forehead and groaned, "Oh no! The meat is gone."

"Don't worry," his wife reassured him.

"But didn’t you say he drank from the jug?" Frank insisted.

"Yes, he did," his wife confirmed.

"Then the meat is definitely gone!" Frank exclaimed. "If he didn't take it during the day, he'll take it at night."

They discussed what to do, and finally decided that at night, they would bring the meat under the blanket to keep it safe.

Late that night, John came to visit and saw that the sheep was missing. Realizing what had happened, he quietly crept up to their bed while they were asleep, grabbed the meat from between them, and took it away.

The next morning, Frank woke up, saw the meat was gone, and rushed to John's house. He stood by the gate, waiting. When John arrived and knocked on the door, Frank opened it. John, thinking it was his wife, handed the meat to Frank. Without a word, Frank took the meat and left.

At dawn, John woke his wife and said, "Prepare a hearty stew for lunch."

"With what meat?" his wife asked.

"The meat I brought home last night," John replied.

"You're dreaming," his wife responded.

Realizing what had happened, John slapped himself and said, "The meat is gone! Frank must have taken it."

Later that afternoon, the two brothers, John and Jack, visited Frank. After they ate lunch, they discussed how unfair it was that Frank had so much while they had nothing. They decided to rob together and split the spoils.

Frank agreed, but only on the condition that they would do as he said. The brothers agreed, and they made a pact.

That evening, Frank went to the palace under the pretense of visiting an acquaintance. He learned the layout of the royal treasury, and later that night, he and the other two brothers set off to rob the palace.

They hid near the treasury, and Frank entered. He filled their bags with jewels and returned home with the loot. The next day, they went around town, curious to see if anyone had noticed the robbery. But to their surprise, no one seemed to know.

Unbeknownst to them, the king had already discovered the theft and had placed a barrel of tar under the treasury window, intending to catch the thief if he tried to rob again.

That night, the brothers returned to the palace. This time, it was John’s turn to enter through the window. But as soon as he climbed in, he fell directly into the tar and got stuck. He called out to his brothers, but Frank saw no way out and decided to kill John to save himself.

He quickly killed John, took his body, and returned home. The next morning, they learned that the king was looking for the thief’s body. He ordered it to be hanged in the town square, and anyone who could identify the thief would be rewarded.

John’s wife, hearing this news, decided to retrieve his body, but Frank persuaded her to stay home while he and Jack went to collect it. They disguised themselves as musicians, riding their donkey through the town. When they reached the gate, the guards, thinking they were harmless, let them play their instruments. The guards soon fell asleep, and the brothers took the body, tied it to the donkey, and sent it back home.

The next morning, the guards were furious to discover the body and donkey were missing. They ran around searching but found nothing. When they returned to the brothers, they pretended to cry, lamenting their lost donkey and food. The guards, guilt-ridden, offered them money to avoid further trouble.

The king, hearing of the missing body, decided to send out a decree offering a reward for anyone who could find the thief. A woman came forward, saying she had been searching for a sick young man in need of camel meat. She spread word that anyone with camel meat might be able to help.

The king, intrigued, asked her to investigate. The woman, knowing Frank had the meat, visited his wife and got some from her. When Frank returned, he saw the woman and realized she was searching for the meat. He invited her to his house and killed her, hoping the clues would lead the king to him.

Later, the king’s officials declared that the thief must have been someone with knowledge of the palace and its treasure. Eventually, the brothers were caught, and Frank was weighed and rewarded with gold and jewels for his cunning.

The king, acknowledging his cleverness, gave him the riches as a reward.